Arnold Fothergill
A formidable left-arm fast bowler for Somerset who earned a fleeting but hard-won place in English cricket's Test arena in the late 19th century.
1854–1932 (age 78)·English cricketer·Birthday: August 26
Biography
Arnold Fothergill's cricket was forged in the demanding world of Victorian county cricket, where professionals like him played for their livelihoods. As a left-arm fast-medium bowler for Somerset, he was a workhorse, relied upon to bowl long, probing spells on often-unprepared pitches. His career spanned over two decades, a testament to his skill and durability in an era before protective gear. The pinnacle came in 1889 when, at the age of 35, his consistent performances were rewarded with two Test caps for England against South Africa. Though his international career was brief, it marked the culmination of a lifetime dedicated to the craft. Fothergill's story is emblematic of the countless county professionals whose excellence sustained the domestic game and occasionally, gloriously, broke through to the highest level.
#1 When Arnold Was Born
The biggest hits of 1854
Arnold's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1854Born
1859Started school
1867Became a teenager
President: Andrew Johnson
1870Could drive
President: Ulysses S. Grant
1872Could vote
President: Ulysses S. Grant
1875Turned 21
President: Ulysses S. Grant
1884Turned 30
President: Chester A. Arthur
1894Turned 40
President: Grover Cleveland
1904Turned 50
New York City opens its first subway line
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1914Turned 60
World War I begins
President: Woodrow Wilson
1924Turned 70
First Winter Olympics held in Chamonix, France
President: Calvin Coolidge"It Had to Be You" — Isham Jones
1932Died at 78
Amelia Earhart flies solo across the Atlantic
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Night and Day" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Grand Hotel
Key Achievements
- Represented England in two Test matches against South Africa in 1889.
- Played first-class cricket for 22 seasons, primarily for Somerset County Cricket Club.
- Took over 750 first-class wickets in his career with his left-arm pace bowling.
- Also appeared for the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in first-class matches.
Did You Know?
He was a professional cricketer, meaning he was paid to play, unlike the amateurs (gentlemen) of his era.
His first-class debut was in 1870, and his final match was in 1892.
He played in the very first Test match ever held in South Africa, at Port Elizabeth in 1889.
“A bowler's duty is to attack the wicket, session after session.”
